United Nations Naval Academy
The United Nations Naval Academy (UNNA) is a primary military college in San Francisco, California on Earth, that educates and commissions future officers of the UNSC Navy and Marine Corps. It was established on November 9th, 2245 by Admiral Jonathan Archer who saw the need for a centralized naval officer training facility in lieu of numerous national and regional facilities that existed prior and long after the formation of the United Earth Government. The UN Naval Academy normal trains it's Midshipman in four years, including five summer sessions with units across the galaxy. Early on in Galactic Alliance history, the Naval Academy began admission of alien cadets into their ranks. These officers would later bring Human military knowledge back to their militaries, and form the base of the unified Alliance Navy in the late 26th century; some of which actually served in the United Nations Space Command. This school was renowned across the galaxy for it's outstanding teaching and the citizens it produced, earning the reputation of Humanities best school for future Chancellors. It was known by many names, including "The Space School", "The Academy", or simply as "Navy", referring to it's sports teams. The Academy's motto from the founding of the school until a few years after the Human-Covenant War was Ex Hic, Clementia Praecedo, which is Latin for "From here, humanity excels". To reflect the schools multi-species influence and the UEG's support for the peaceful Alliance, it was changed to Ex Hic, Pacis Fio Vires, Latin for "From here, peace becomes strength". Summer Training After a cadet's commission into the Fleet, he or she will have to choose one of a thousand different careers within the United Nations Space Command. To prepare these cadets, the instructors at the U.N. Navy Academy give their students the summer off. While not used in the traditional context, these "Summer Breaks" involve three months of active training in one of the many major fields that the Fleet offers. Also known as a "Summer Cruise", the first of these training exercises, takes place prior to the midshipman's "Plebe Year" (first) at the academy. Not serving as a concrete, full-training experience, the training provides each and very Midshipman with the basic skills each Naval Officer should have. *'Year Zero' | USS ''Patriot'' - Three months aboard the USS Patriot, an American Man-of-War vessel used during the Daring crisis in the early 19th century. Constantly refurbished and maintained, it serves as the cadet's very first experiences in the military. This tour is designed to make the cadet's learn about the history of the Navies of the world, and by extension, doing every task by hand, rather than the completely automated systems that they encounter on modern starships. After the three months, the Cadet is given their final chance to withdraw their participation with the U.S. Naval Academy before entering their Plebe year. *'Year One' | Remote Scanning Outpost - After their Plebe year, Midshipman are sent to one of three designate R.S.O.'s in the Inner Colonies. Seen as a "punishment" by the cadets, UNNA instructors give them this assignment early on to teach cadets about one of the most important roles in the fleet. Unlike active duty personnel, Midshipman are not allowed the two-week rotation so enjoyed by their commissioned brethren. During their stay on these Outpost, each cadet is given two five-day breaks to Ballast. *'Year Two' | Space Warfare Officer - During their second year, cadets are taught how to effectively command their subordinates. Therefore, at the end of the year, they are assigned to one of the six designate warships attached to the UNNA Training Fleet. Due to the competitiveness of Midshipman at the academy, the postings for each ship aren't any exception. The higher scores a cadet achieves during his or her second year dictates what vessel they are assigned to; the most prestigious students are assigned to the Flagship of the Fleet, which from 2565-onwards, was the Dreadnought Enterprise. Regardless of the vessel a cadet serves on, their responsibilities are much the same, given a section of 30 Crewman overseen by their commander, a junior officer, who will instruct the students in proper command authority aboard a warship for two months. ::Naval Aviator - For their last month of the third summer cruise, cadets are taught the basics of Naval Aviation. During this assignment, Midshipman learn how to operate the major small craft of the United Nations Space Command as well as survival and maintenance skills. Over this one-month period, nearly all cadets excel at flying the Raptor-class Starfighter, the |''Cobra''-class Dropship, and the ''Bumblebee''-class Lifepod. *'Year Three' | Marine Infantry Officer - Wrapping up a Midshipman's standard summer training cycle is an assignment to a Marine Expeditionary Unit, gaining an additional two month for the increase training. Like their training as a Space Warfare Officer, each cadet is assigned to a Platoon of 36 Marines, instructed by their leader, a Lieutenant. While not going through the training that a committed Marine officer candidate would go through, if a cadet chooses such path, their training forms most of the work done in combat training during their fourth year. Throughout this cruise, Midshipman experience multiple live-fire exercises. ::Stealth Warfare Officer - For one of two of the extra year three activities prior to a cadet's last year at the academy includes operating aboard a Prowler, a stealth warship. The Nighthawk of the Spirit-class commanded by Commander Vah'dir is the designate prowler for the UNSC Training Fleet. Vah'dir, one of the first aliens to graduate from the academy, along with being the honor graduate, teaches every single cadet about how to operate these multi-billion dollar stealth ships. Though being assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence, the midshipman aboard the Nighthawk are given an unprecedented access to all of the ship's systems. ::Naval Intelligence Operative - The second "spook" assignment for cadets, the month-long intelligence course taught by ONI Section Zero personnel teaches midshipman the basics of modern spy work. Along with classes on Human Intelligence (HUMINT), counter-intelligence, and signals intelligence, cadets get a course on investigation techniques when they are sent on policing and even diplomatic missions. Training Vessels To train Midshipman in a real-life, high-stress environment, various ships have been commissioned or designated as "Fleet Training Vessels". Withing the Naval Academy Training Fleet, exists at least one ship of every type, from a Corvette to a Light Carrier. While not assigned to the academy's fleet, many active duty vessels have been designated to train cadets during actual fleet operations, and in times of crisis, cadets are transferred to these select ships. Flagship In keeping with UNSC Naval traditions, the Flagship of the Fleet and the Commander-in-Chief is also the designated ship and flagship of the training fleet. In 2565, the Training Fleet Command Ship became the Dreadnought Enterprise (BDCF-1), a Constitution-class vessel that replaced the outgoing and soon-to-be decommissioned Battleship Farragut (BDC-230). For those Midshipman earning the right to serve aboard the Enterprise for their dissertations, their instructors inform the cadets that it is one of the most advanced ships ever to be developed, to which the naive cadets usually consider to be a easy challenge. Despite highly intelligent Artificial Intelligence constructs implanted within the ship, Midshipman are barred from most of the automated systems aboard the Enterprise, teaching them "hands-on skills" instilled to them even before they landed in San Francisco. Problem Solving Ensuring that Naval Academy training standards and practices are continuously up-to-date, ships of this fleet, especially the smaller warships, are regularly phased out as soon as a new class of ships is commissioned into the fleet. While Fleet Operations are of the highest priority to the Admiralty, Destroyers and Frigates are phased in once a substantial number of any particular class is built. Hoping to embolden Midshipman engineering skills, instructors insist that the Shipyards keep all non-hazardous manufacturing issues on these ships. In the case of one ship type, the Prowler Lynx, a prototype Skipjack-class Attack Prowler, featured a serious life-threatening complication in it's Slipspace Drive and Maneuvering capabilities; a problem which two of their assigned cadets, Midshipman James T. Kirk and Montgomery Scott, fixed without aid by shipyard personnel. Their technical expertise not only saved the lives of the Lynx' crew, but also helped design the most advanced stealth ship to operate behind enemy lines. RSS Han For the hundreds of alien Midshipman attending the U.N. Naval Academy each year, the Royal Sangheili Navy offered the RSS Han (BAC-2000) to complement the Human fleet. Named after the slayed wife of Arbiter Fal 'Chavamee, an early anti-Prophet visionary, the Han is a shining example of the Sangheili race's newly founded policy of peace with others, shared during the post-war period prior to the formation of the Covenant Empire. It's the second commissioned vessel of the CCT E-class Battlecruiser type, an advancement over the CCS-class used for hundreds of years. During it's construction in 2565, the Han was to solely be a training vessels, though as many Human officers protested, it became a designate training ship instead. It's sole purpose for existing in the training fleet is to familiarize cadets with Alien ship systems and architecture, and to formally train alien officers if they wish to be granted a commission in their species' own fleets. USS Patriot Adding to the thirteen space-faring vessels, the fleet also operates a single first-rate Man-of-War, called the USS Patriot; built by the United States of America in 1819, it was designed to combat the threat of the technologically superior ships of the Separatist Asian Confederacy during the Daring crisis. During the climatic battle between the Patriot and the Daring, the former's crew, comprised almost entirely of un-seasoned midshipman, managed to defeat the Daring and it's escorts in close battle. Continuously restored for use by the U.S. Naval Academy, and later the U.N. Naval Academy, it serves as a student's first experiences into the world of a Fleet officer, spending three months aboard the Patriot prior to beginning their studies in the fall. Ships of the Line Category:UNSC Category:Location